Former Giants and Dodgers’ reliever Brian Wilson is among the long list of hard-throwing relievers the Rockies are pursuing in free agency. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

The Rockies began the offseason by unsuccessfully opening the vault for a Cuban defector, leaving them facing a winter of detractors.

It’s an outgrowth of the standings: The fans see a team that has finished in last place in consecutive seasons and places second regularly for free agents. This isn’t always the case. The Rockies won the bidding for outfielder Michael Cuddyer two years ago, reaping the reward of his three-year, $31.5-million contract when he won a batting title, a Silver Slugger and earned an all-star berth last season.

He represented their biggest free agent outlay since Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle received combined deals worth $175.3 million in December 2000. That’s why the $63 million offer to Jose Abreu, who received $68 million from the White Sox, a team with his former Cuban teammates, was intriguing. It represented a bold move, absent for more than a decade.

This much is known: The Rockies have roughly $9 million to spend, if no one is traded (like outfielder Dexter Fowler), to upgrade their roster. There are multiple possibilities given that the team is open to trades, and recognizes areas that need obvious help:

Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario is playing in the Dominican Republic this winter for a handful of games, sharpening his defense. If the Rockies don’t sign Carlos Ruiz, Wilin Rosario will likely return as the Rockies’ starting catcher. (Denver Post file photo)

The Rockies made their bid for free agent catcher Carlos Ruiz on Monday night, offering a two-year deal with an option for approximately $15 milion, but leaving them short of their competition.

Their chances of landing the catcher, who will turn 35 in January, nosedived when the Rockies were told he has a two-year, $20-million proposal on the table from another team. Colorado will not reach that number, a source with direct knowledge of their talks said on Tuesday. Until Ruiz signs, the Rockies will hold pat, hoping he considers their bid. Their reluctance to go higher on Ruiz is related directly to his age.

Ruiz is a strong defender, and the Phillies’ pitchers have asked management to keep him. He has found a robust market with the Red Sox and Blue Jays also interested.

Rockies owner Dick Monfort said he’s not trading Troy Tulowitzki. It’s his decision, and he’s given no signs of budging or changing his mind. However, until the St. Louis Cardinals land a shortstop, the Tulowitzki rumors will linger. It’s how the hot stove season works. There are vacancies, specific players make sense, so they story exists until it doesn’t.

This much I know: there has been no seismic shift in the Rockies’ thinking regarding Tulowitzki. The Rockie always listen when teams inquire. They have made that part of their due diligence for years. So if the Cardinals were to make some crazy offer — like including Michael Wacha, Trevor Rosenthal and Allen Craig– of course the Rockies would listen. But there are no indications that the Cardinals will move any of those players, let alone all three. And I don’t think a package of Carlos Martinez, Matt Adams or Kolten Wong even comes close to getting the talks simmering.

Fomer Giants closer Brian Wilson, right, throw at a game at Coors Field early last season. Wilson, trying to come back from Tommy John surgery, auditioned for several teams Thursday in Los Angeles. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

The Rockies are among at least eight teams with an interest in former Giants closer Brian Wilson.

A major-league source confirmed Friday that the Rockies scouted Wilson Thursday when he threw for scouts Thursday in Los Angeles. Wilson is scheduled to throw again on Sunday.

The source said the Rockies are interested, but need to see more before they would try to make a move to sign Wilson. Wilson, a hard-throwing, intimidating closer, has 171 career saves but is coming back from injury.

Wilson, 31, has twice undergone Tommy John Surgery, and hasn’t pitched in a game in more than 15 months, but the lack of quality relievers on the market has raised interest in him. Reports are that Wilson’s fastball ranged between 90-93 mph Thursday.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.